Lamb to Thunder d-league?

[UChusky916]

https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/274208921680506880

Hmmm, seems a little odd. Maybe he's just not getting the playing time?

 

[aceboon]

makes sense, better than waiting around to get in during blowouts

 

[tykurez]

Yea, makes sense ... but not the ideal situation for him. He probably would have gotten ample opportunity in Houston. The silver lining is that OKC seems to have a knack for developing young talent.

 

[Cheddie]

https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/274208921680506880

Hmmm, seems a little odd. Maybe he's just not getting the playing time?

NBA release said he played in 8 games (half of the team's schedule) and averaged 4 minutes those games. Hope he uses this as an opportunity to work hard, and not let his confidence get down.

http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/okc_assigns_jeremy_lamb_2012_11_29.html?ls=iref:nbahpts

 

[Huskies4ever]

makes sense, better than waiting around to get in during blowouts

It sucks though to leave after 2 years, be a lottery pick, get traded, hardly play, and get demoted. I really feel for the kid. He's learning the hard way about the business aspect of pro sports.

 

[aceboon]

Yea, makes sense ... but not the ideal situation for him. He probably would have gotten ample opportunity in Houston. The silver lining is that OKC seems to have a knack for developing young talent.

I honestly don't think the situation would've been all that different in Houston. He had already fallen behind Martin & Delfino in the rotation at SG and Houston hasn't really played their other rookies either in Terrence Jones and Motiejunas, and Jones was killing in preseason. I still like this spot for him because as you said OKC has a great program there and Martin likely won't be back next season.

 

[Huskies4ever]

I still like this spot for him because as you said OKC has a great program there and Martin likely won't be back next season.

Might it benefit JL to stay with OKC and learn from and practice against KMart?

 

[aceboon]

Might it benefit JL to stay with OKC and learn from and practice against KMart?

I doubt he'll be down there for very long. Even though its D-League comp they probably want to get him the chance to get him some run in real live game conditions, because b/w the appearance against the Bobcats and his stint against the Pistons(I didn't see last night) he looked like someone who hasn't played in an actual game in awhile, he looked completely lost.

 

[caw]

With how well K-Mart has played, I wouldn't be shocked if the Thunder try and see if he is willing to sign a short/cheap contract to be part of a winning team. He is 30 next year and has played on crap teams his entire career.

Lamb may be the SG of the future for the Thunder but he may have to wait a few years.

 

[Huskymaniac]

Perhaps he should have stayed another year?

 

[Palatine]

Might it benefit JL to stay with OKC and learn from and practice against KMart?

There's very little practice in the NBA. The games are so close, rest is more important than practice. The only real way to develop is playing time.

 

[kelde1wd]

Sucks for him. People always think it is great when you get drafted to a championship caliber team so that you can learn from them. The best thing for these young guys is to get playing time. I don't see him getting it in OKC anytime soon. For his sake, maybe he will be part of a mid-season trade that will result in playing time. I don't think he has an expensive contract and that is typically what "sellers" are looking for at the deadline. Best of luck to him.

 

[dogpause]

Perhaps he should have stayed another year?

Or maybe worked a little harder in his sophomore year. Seemed at times that he was passing the time.

 

[champs99and04]

It piss anybody else off to see Austin Rivers playing 28 MPG in New Orleans while shooting 31% from the field? I hate what's happened to Lamb - I think he can be a really good player in this league.

 

[UConn3432]

i don't feel bad for anyone that leaves school early and struggles to get on the floor. there are 5 million examples of guys leaving early and not getting a second contract. i think he'll figure it out and be successful. hopefully he uses this as motivation and owns the d-league.

 

[caw]

It piss anybody else off to see Austin Rivers playing 28 MPG in New Orleans while shooting 31% from the field? I hate what's happened to Lamb - I think he can be a really good player in this league.

The shooting guards drafted ahead of Lamb have really been bad overall at shooting and in general.

Brad Beal is at 32.6%, 33.3%, 89.5% On 10.4, 4.2 and 2.9 attempts.
Austin Rivers is at 31.9%, 36.0%, and 66.7% On 7.2, 1.9 and 2.5 attempts.
Dion Waiters is at 37.2%, 37.2% and 73.2% On 14.9, 5.2 and 2.7 attempts.

Its not like any of them are stat stuffers either.

Terrance Ross has been OK in limited minutes for Toronto at 41.5%, 27.8%, 0.0% on 5.9, 2.6 and .2 attempts. He mostly plays garbage time, so it's hard to judge him.

Of course those four are also on four of the crappiest teams in the NBA, four worst records this year. Combined for 11 wins in 58 games.

As a comparison Kemba (with the worst shooting performance ever) shot 36.6%, 30.5% and 78.9% He also averaged more assists and rebounds than any of them while playing similar minutes. It's a long season, and will be interesting to see how these guys do at the end of it.

 

[aceboon]

It piss anybody else off to see Austin Rivers playing 28 MPG in New Orleans while shooting 31% from the field? I hate what's happened to Lamb - I think he can be a really good player in this league.

That or Beal hoisting up bricks for the Wizards. I see people clowning Lamb on twitter and Borges kind of insinuating that this calls into question Lamb's talent and wondering do they follow the NBA at all, Rivers/Beal/Ross, none of them guys would be seeing time on the Thunder either.

 

[huskyniner]

Perhaps he should have stayed another year?

How was he supposed to know that he'd eventually end up on a Finals contender? If he was on a bad team right now, he'd probably be starting.

 

[aceboon]

Kendall Marshall was also assigned to the DLeague, I guess he needed another year

 

[caw]

Kendall Marshall was also assigned to the DLeague, I guess he needed another year

God, at least Lamb can say he's on a top 5 team. Marshall is on Phoenix which is in the bottom third.

BTW if Lamb were on Houston he likely wouldn't be playing much either. Houston's 4 rookies have played 1 game (Machado), 7 games (Jones, 3 over 10 ten minutes) and 3 games (Montiejunas, about 3 minutes a game) and zero (White, not sure what happened to him after his issues with travelling erupted).

 

[aceboon]

God, at least Lamb can say he's on a top 5 team. Marshall is on Phoenix which is in the bottom third.

BTW if Lamb were on Houston he likely wouldn't be playing much either. Houston's 4 rookies have played 1 game (Machado), 7 games (Jones, 3 over 10 ten minutes) and 3 games (Montiejunas, about 3 minutes a game) and zero (White, not sure what happened to him after his issues with travelling erupted).

Dragic is good tho and Telfair obviously will never live up to the hype but he is a decent backup level PG. Yea I made the same point about Houston, summer league/preseason isn't the real deal but Jones and Monti looked very good there and they're barely getting any tick. White is just a headcase and if he keeps on with this war he's waging with the Rockets he is going to get blackballed out of the league.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I don't really see this as any sort of disappointment with where he is as a player, and I can't fault Lamb for leaving based off of this move. He was a lottery pick and had he stayed with a lottery team, would have probably been seeing regular playing time by now. The fact that he was traded to a deep, loaded team with an established shooter coming off the bench threw a wrench into things. It would have been dumb for them to let him rot on the bench rather than get him significant playing time in the D-league. Chances are Martin will be somewhere else next year and getting Lamb consistent PT to maybe have him fill that bench scorer void next year (assuming he continues to develop) makes all the sense in the world.

 

[msgordon]

i don't feel bad for anyone that leaves school early and struggles to get on the floor. there are 5 million examples of guys leaving early and not getting a second contract. i think he'll figure it out and be successful. hopefully he uses this as motivation and owns the d-league.

blah blah blah. theres another 5 million examples of kids staying in school and their stock falling or getting no contract at all. the kid went in the lottery, and as pointed out with beal/rivers/waiters/ross getting plenty of run, it was more of an unlucky circumstance

 

[Huskies4ever]

There's very little practice in the NBA. The games are so close, rest is more important than practice. The only real way to develop is playing time.

Playing time in the NBA, not the NBADL for a rook.

 

[UConnJim]

This isn't a surprise. Physically, Lamb wasn't ready for the NBA when he left UConn, but if you are going to be a high draft pick, you have to go. The only way Lamb was going to get early playing time was to go to a bad team. D-league is good for him and will help him develop.